Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu (Himura Kenshin)
Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu This move is performed by Himura Kenshin, in the anime Rurouni Kenshin, the battosai, or also known as a vagabond/traveler. Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū (飛天御剣流, Flying Heaven Govern Sword-Style) is an ancient kenjutsu style from the Sengoku Jidai, developed to allow a single samurai to defeat numerous foes single-handedly. Practitioners of this style use a combination of near-superhuman speed and agility (known as Shinsoku, or godspeed), battojutsu, an acquired, observation-based pseudo-clairvoyance in order to avoid the attacks of their opponents by the least possible margin and with the least possible effort in order to place themselves in the perfect position to strike in the very instant the opponent's strike misses, and stresses two-step attacks in order to ensure that any and all who oppose it are thoroughly slain. Due to its tremendous power and speed, Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū has recently been nicknamed "The Black Ship of the Land" in that it would secure absolute victory for whichever side wielded it in a conflict. In light of this truth, Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū has strictly maintained independence of alliances or sides, stressing highly of the importance of wielding its expertise in the name of their fellow man and of any hardship, absent of allegiances and bias of any sort. Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū is known by very few people in history due to the fact that it has only passed on from master to apprentice for fourteen generations, with each apprentice taking the life and special mantle of his master as well as the name Hiko Seijūrō. Additionally, the immense force and energy required to perform many of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū's moves take a cumulative toll on the body of the user. With sufficient physical strength training and limited combat, the effects can be staunched, but will inevitably render the user incapable of wielding the style's tremendous power. While strenuous to the user, it doesn't appear to heavily affect Kenshin in any sense given his relative size and frail appearance compared to his master. Another side effect of mastery of the style is it functions as an apparent "fountain of youth". Either the wielders lifespan is extended or it retards the signs of physical aging as Kenshin is 28 years old and looks nothing like a mature adult, while the wielder may still look young, it's never specified if the same holds true for one's internals, given the physical strain it undertakes. Techniques *'Ryūtsuisen' (龍槌閃, Dragon Hammer Flash) - From a position higher than one's opponent (usually initiated by a powerful jump), one uses the momentum of the fall to strengthen a two-handed sword swing that brings the blade down on the opponent's head or shoulder. **'Ryūtsuisen ● Zan' (龍槌閃・惨, Dragon Hammer Flash: Disaster) - Beginning in the same way as Ryūtsuisen, the user positions the sword as to initiate a downward stab to the head instead of a downward swing. Kenshin is first shown using this against Shigekura Jūbei. *'Ryūkansen' (龍巻閃, Dragon Coiling Flash) - Most often used as a counterattack against a thrust or charge, one sidesteps a forward-moving opponent and moves past them. In doing so, one spins in a full circle, adding momentum and centrifugal force to the strength of the sword swing, which is then aimed at either the opponent's back or the back of the neck. **'Ryūkansen ● Tsumuji' (龍巻閃・旋, Dragon Coiling Flash: Whirl) - One of the variations of Ryūkansen, Ryūkansen Tsumuji is a direct attack rather than a counter, and involves a more forward direction of spinning, such as in a drilling motion like a torpedo. **'Ryūkansen ● Kogarashi' (龍巻閃・凩, Dragon Coiling Flash: Wintry Wind) - An alternate version used in Kenshin's Five Hit Combo against Shishio. Involves a simple backhanded slash from a single turn to blast the foe away; unlike the original version it is not a full circling spin, and is meant to be a quick and possibly situational strike. **'Ryūkansen ● Arashi' (龍巻閃・嵐, Dragon Coiling Flash: Storm) - A variation of the normal Ryūkansen, this technique places the swordsman is in a full rolling somersault slash while attacking. *'Ryūshōsen' (龍翔閃, Dragon Flight Flash) - The opposite of Ryūtsuisen, Ryūshōsen is a rising attack meant to strike the jaw from below. For additional power, one uses one's free arm to apply force to the back of the blade and utilizes a powerful upward jump during the attack. Originally this move was designed to slice into the opponent's chin and kill them, but Kenshin has since modified the technique to strike with the sword's side; consequently, Senkaku, Shishio and Aoshi have all survived the attack, though the former was instantly knocked out by it. *'Ryūtsuishōsen' (龍槌翔閃, Dragon Hammer-Flight Flash): A combination of Ryūtsuisen and Ryūshōsen, Ryūtsuishōsen begins with the powerful jump and supported upswing of Ryūshōsen, giving the leap enough power to pass one's opponent in mid-air, and on the returning drop, Ryūtsuisen is performed. it is unknown if this move can be performed effectively without using a sakabatō, as the initial Ryūtsuisen would already be fatal if landed correctly with a normal katana. It can also work the other way around at times, where the Ryūshōsen performed first instead. *'Ryūsōsen' (龍巣閃, Dragon Nest Flash): A massive flurry of strikes delivered to the opponent. The sheer speed of the slashes makes this technique difficult to counter. There is an alternate version called **'Ryūsōsen ● Garami' (龍巣閃・咬, Dragon Nest Flash: Gnawing): A technique that which targets the foe's head. *'Doryūsen' (土龍閃, Earth Dragon Flash): A ranged attack, Doryūsen strikes an opponent outside of the user's range by striking the ground and sending earthen debris at said opponent with knockout force. Kuzuryūsen (九頭龍閃, Nine-Headed Dragon Flash): A dashing attack that uses Shinsoku (Godspeed) to simultaneously strike all nine vital spots on the foe's body from a normal kendō stance, as each of these nine points are the main targets for different swordstyles (only different styles target different ones). It is said to be undodgeable and nearly unblockable, and is taught as a prerequisite for the succession technique. It is also Hiko Seijūrō XIII's signature move. Users who are faster than the Hiten Mitsurugi, however, are able to evade the attack, as seen with Sōjirō. The strength of the move's "nine heads" will differ greatly depending on the strength of the user. Kenshin's Kuzuryūsen is powerful, but is countered at one point by Yukishiro Enishi, while Hiko's Kuzuryūsen allows him to instantly down the immense Fuji with no prior attacks. *The nine heads of the targets are in counterclockwise while looking towards the target from the user's view: **'Karatake (唐竹/幹竹, Tang Bamboo/Tree Trunk Bamboo)': Aimed at above head with downward strike: 壱 (ichi, one) **'Sakagesagiri (逆袈裟切り, Inverted Kasaya Cutter)': Aimed at right shoulder diagonally: 弐 (ni, two) **Miginagi (右薙, Right Mower) Aimed at right arm's center from the side: 参 (san, three) **Migikiriage (右切上, Right Cutting Upward) Aimed at right arm's bottom/right wrist diagonally: 肆 (shi, four) **Sakakaze (逆風, Inverted Wind) Aimed at groin area from below via upward stroke, or straight from front: 伍 (go, five) **Hidarikiriage (左切上, Left Cutting Upward) Aimed at left arm's bottom/left wrist diagonally: 陸 (riku, six) **Hidarinagi (左薙, Left Mower) Aimed at left arm's center from the side: 漆 (shitsu, seven) **Kesagiri (袈裟切り, Kasaya Cutter) Aimed at left shoulder diagonally: 捌 (hatsu, eight) **Tsuki/Shitotsu (刺突, Thrusting/Thorn Stab) Aimed at center of chest, at breastbone: 玖 (kyū, nine) *'Hiten Mugen Zan' (飛天無限斬, Flying Heaven Infinity Slash) - An ancient and seemingly lost move used by the original Hiko Seijūrō, Hiten Mugen Zan is a shinsoku charge followed by a slash of unrivaled power.